Old Fashioned Romance
by Eternita14
Summary: In 1876. Abandoned be her mother, working at a local saloon to support her family, Jude lived anything but a charmed life. But everything changed when outlaw Tom Quincy entered her small town.
1. Feathers and Dust

Old Fashioned Romance

Chapter 1: Feathers and Dust

I'm just testing this out. I have no chapter two yet but if you like this I'll probably get to work on it.

Disclaimer is on my profile page.

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Jude sat at her vanity staring at her pallid reflection in the mirror. Her hands shook slightly as she adjusted the feathers she just stuck in her hair. The brightly colored feathers were a stark contrast to her blonde hair. Her bouncy curls gave her the innocent look her boss was going for. He thought it would bring in more people, how that was going to work? She didn't know. She wondered how she'd gotten herself into this.

She never wanted to work here. Her father, the sheriff of Abilene, encouraged her to showcase her talents as a singer. With her mother running away with a cattle baron and her and her sister to feed, they needed the money. She knew that was another reason for her to work here. Knowing her talent was wasted here, the people she'd be performing for wouldn't pay a speck of attention to her voice. Not when she was wearing a dress like this. _Where is the innocence? _She thought, examining the shiny glass beads that brushed her shoulder.

She fastened the choker around her neck before looking down at her dress. The bodice was black and very form fitting, she kept fidgeting with the too thin straps that dug into her flesh. The skirt was a bright pink that matched her feathers perfectly and rustled when she moved. Coming right below the knee it showed more leg than she was ever comfortable with. Her black tights felt horrible against her skin and the shoes were worse. _How much pink do they expect me to wear? _Disgusted by the thought of all girlishness she was forced to endure, she slammed her hand down on the surface in front of her.

"Jude you're on," Jude jumped when she heard Darius, the saloon's owner, speak to her from the door. She put on her lace gloves before she checked her appearance once more. Taking a deep breath in she gave a stiff nod as she rose from her seat. Motions clipped, she straightened her skirt and left the safety of her dressing room. She wrung her hands as she followed Darius towards the stage. She didn't mind performing for these people, she loved to sing. Even if no one listened she would go out there and sing like she's never done before.

She made a silent plea, looking at the few patrons seated in front of the stage, that she didn't faint or worse, sound like a cow giving birth. Deep, shaky, breaths kept her from running back to her dressing room. The choker was living up to its name as Darius stood in the middle of the stage, getting ready to announce her.

At the promulgation of her name, she walked out onto the stage for the first time.

* * *

The sun had just shone over the horizon. Tom Quincy, the most wanted outlaw on the frontier, sat atop his sandy horse, looking out at the terrain ahead of him. He knew his next destination: Abilene. Something was calling him to go there. There's nothing there for him but he made the choice to go.

The sun was beating on his back as he rode further and further away from Dodge City. The dirt clouded around the hooves of his horse. He was closing in on Ellsworth, only an hour or so before he got through the city and on to Abilene.

He received a curious glance or two when he reached the outskirts, avoiding the crowds that could harbor his enemies. And there were plenty of them. Thieves who knew his wealth, the people from where he got the aforementioned wealth, and then there was always the idiots who thought they could outdo him in a shoot out. Of course the cowards always tried a sneak attack.

The hours passed without incident, a miracle in itself. Usually he would have been attacked by robbers or bloodthirsty savages that have yet to be run out of the area. He never let his guard down though, he'd faced a lot of surprises in his short twenty three years. Indian raids, shootouts, hold ups, and the list goes on.

Sunset was upon him as reached the outskirts of town.

The town came into view. Building after wood building lined the main street. Women swept the planked walk between the establishments. Men were heading toward The Shootout, a local saloon, to get there fill of liquor and women. He's been alone for quite a few days and a little debauchery would do him some good.

Hopping down from his steed, he brushed off the dust from his shirt. He removed his hat and wiped the back of his arm across his forehead, taking the dirt from his face. The long ride was hell on his body, his arm shook as returned his hat to its place.

His boots clopping on the planks, he strode into the saloon. This being his first time in Abilene, no one stopped to watch to see what he was going to do. He wouldn't be recognized unless they had the wanted posters with his face on them.

He was leaning against the bar when a bartender asked what he wanted. He thought for a moment before he said whiskey. He hadn't had one in awhile. He might as well get good and drunk while no one knew who he was. A blonde bar maid came up and smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Sadie. Can I get you anything?" He picked up on the double meaning and was about to answer when he heard an announcement.

He wasn't sure what the bald man had said but the crowd quieted down slightly. He hoped the room wasn't going to turn on him. But instead a girl, who couldn't have been more than seventeen, walked onto the stage. She was as pretty as the girl next to him but he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

_What she going to do? _He thought as he watched her stand in the middle. Dancer? She didn't look that graceful. Singer? Hm, that had possibilities. Both? No, dancing and her looked like they didn't belong in the same room. What's her name? Sally? Susie? Whatever it was, she kept trying to get his attention.

Watching the girl on stage he heard her voice rise over the buzzing of the crowd. Pretty nice voice, from what he could tell. He felt like he was being pulled to her by an invisible rope. He left -Sara?- and weaved through the crowds to the only empty table he found. Hopefully he left behind the prostitute. When he wanted her he would get her, he didn't need to be followed around.

From his new area, only a few feet away from the stage, he could really hear her voice. He listened to the soft sweetness and let himself enjoy the peace that he rarely had. He took another whiskey when a bar maid came by and looked back at the girl on stage. He wished he could of heard her name when it was announced. But he doubted that he would ever get a chance to stay long enough to actually get time with her.

He wondered how she would look without the frills she was wearing. He hoped she didn't like to look like that. She looked too overdone, too much like a working girl. Not that he was against working girls. Working girls brought much (temporary) companionship to his nights.

His thoughts were so wrapped up, that he didn't notice that the stage was empty. The blonde beauty was gone. He scanned the area but found not hint of her. He saw the prostitute that was talking to him earlier, she was with the piano player, her hand lingering over his face.

A group of guys came in and took up a portion of the bar. There were three of them. The two flanking the other guy, watched him as if he were their leader. He took his drink and leaned his weight on his arms as he looked around. His shaggy hair covering his eyes.

Tom watched as, Sandy, she looked like a Sandy, walked over to the group and spoke to the man in the middle. Even from the distance he could hear each word clearly. Her slightly high pitched voice told the man, "she's waiting for you." She then turned and winked at the piano player before going back to her job.

The man smirked as he pushed away from the bar and walked to the backstage entrance. He kept his eyes moving around the room, just to be sure he didn't miss her. After a few minutes Tom saw his blonde. She was with the man that disappeared only a few moments ago.

He saw how chivalrous he was being towards her. Keeping her close to him at all times. His hand staying on the small of her back. He watched more closely as they stopped at the bar. She was more conservatively dressed this time. A simple floor length blue dress. Her hair still had all the elaborate curls, but with the feathers gone, it was a vast improvement.

There was a smile on her face as the shaggy haired man next to her handed her a sarsaparilla. She was laughing as she listened to the group of guys speak raucously. Her laugh was even beautiful. The blonde turned her head slightly in his direction, her smile still in place. But it dropped from her face as she felt his gaze.

She faced him completely and he felt his breathing change. So difficult with her blue eyes boring into him. After a moment, too short of a moment Tom thought, she turned back towards the bar. Her head lowered slightly, shoulders hunching.

"Jude?" Tom heard one of the guys say. Her eyes slowly met the curious one watching her. He felt heated as he saw a hand run down her back comfortingly. With the space between the two closing, he wanted nothing more than to pull the boy away from his angel, Jude. She moved back a bit after the short kiss.

"I need to get home. Papa will be worried, especially with..." the boy nodded in understanding, put his hat back on and escorted the blonde out of the saloon. Leaving Tom with a feeling he never felt before.

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Yes, I have watched one too many John Wayne movies. Can't help it, I love him!

Review please!

Thanks, Eternita14. I'm an awesome nerd!


	2. Heat and Cast Iron

Old Fashioned Romance

Chapter 2: Heat and Cast Iron

Disclaimer is on my profile page.

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Holding hands with Vincent Spiederman, Jude walked slowly home. Looking over her shoulder every few seconds looking for the man that undoubtedly was following. She knew he was hiding somewhere in the darkness that surrounded them.

"How was your first show?" He asked, slightly distracted.

"Alright I guess. I didn't really pay much attention to anything around me. Did they at least like me?" She looked up at him with wide eyes. A small smile playing at the edge of her lips.

"They're crazy if they didn't love you," he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. But his eyes kept darting left and right, looking for any sign of danger. She permitted a soft laugh before she took on her serious composure.

There was no sign of a threat anywhere as they came closer to her small wooden home. Jude happily trotted through the door of her home and said her good night to beau. He always tried to get more than a kiss on the cheek but she almost always refused, as politely as she could. But he didn't push her, something she liked very much about him.

She moved around the house looking for anything that was out of place. Checking all the windows, closing the drapes.

There were footsteps coming from the back of the house. No on was supposed to be home, not for another hour or so. "Sadie? Papa?" No reply, but also no more footsteps.

Usually she would shrug off the sound as something her mind was doing to play a trick on her. But now, with her "admirer" and his bold ways, becoming more bold as the days went on, while he was in town that is, she didn't know what to do. She grabbed a cast iron pan from the modest kitchen and started to look out all the windows.

As she reached the front of the house a tapping startled her. Her hand flew to her chest as she steadied the heavy pan she held. She wanted to remain brave but it was too much for her to handle. She sank into a dark corner and held her weapon out in front of her.

She was about to yell out, hoping it was Spiederman playing one of his unfunny jokes on her. But even he wouldn't be this cruel.

On the brink of tears she whispered out her beau's name. Then a shadowy figure past the window. Everything inside her froze. The breath in her lungs, every muscle was taut as she looked on. It didn't resemble the man that couldn't take no for an answer. But she couldn't be too sure."Jude?" all her senses when on high alert.

The voice was coming from above her head. She had forgotten about the window that was there. She craned her neck to try and see who was there without being seen. "Jude? I can't get the door open." she saw a flash of blonde hair and blue feathers.

"Sadie?"

"Who else would it be?" Jude hurried over to the door to let her older sister in. She found it difficult at first but with some effort the door opened. The house wasn't old but it was in need of repairs. This was just another one to add to the list.

"What's the matter with you?" She took a swipe at the confused face of Sadie. "I was nearly scared to death because of you," she walked back over to her corner and picked up the pan.

"Jude, you do know he's not in town. Hasn't been for a long time." She knew the fear her sister lived with everyday.

"Yes, but I've been hearing that he's coming back from college. And I don't want to be caught off guard." Jude placed the pan back in its place as thoughts of what occurred a few months ago went through her brain.

"Aw, little sister," Sadie went over to the shaking girl. "You know that we won't let anything happen to you. So don't worry so much," she held her sister face in both hands."Okay?" Jude nodded and Sadie gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "Now, off to bed. We've got an early morning."

They trudged up the stairs, arm in arm, to the room they shared. Jude helped Sadie loosen the laces of her corset so she would be able to sleep. She was thankful that she didn't even need to consider the restrictive garment. Though her father often teased her about her eating habits, ones she picked up from her beau and his posse, she didn't seem to keep any weight. Most women in the town resented her for it.

She finished with her nightly rituals and was settling into the large bed she and her sister also shared. She was close to sleep when a group of horses went by the house. The pounding of hooves was something she thought she's never get used to. She immediately thought that it could be _him. _She hurried to the window but she was too late to see anything.

She opened the window more, trying to cool the room the best she could. She fanned herself with her hand taking a deep breath of the fresh air. A quick glance revealed someone standing in the middle of the street. With only a sliver of moon she couldn't tell if the person was facing the house of across the street.

Jude did her best to sneak away, not wanting anyone to see her in her undergarments. She didn't think she would be able to get back to sleep but with a little effort she was gone into the plains, all worries behind her.

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_This is not exactly how I intended on spending the night._ Tom thought as he looked up at the stars above him. His room was too small for him to want to be in there for too long of a time. He decided it would be better to get some air. But every time that blonde girl was near him she started talking incessantly. So here he was, laying on the pitched roof of the hotel. To make matters worse, he was alone. And in desperate need of a womans gentle touch.

People wandered past his hiding place, talking about there plans and few were saying goodnight. He could hear women strolling along. Their pretty voices made him think back to the girl he saw on the saloon's stage. Jude, he believed to be her name. She looked so out of place in a saloon. Too innocent. Just the type he liked for nighttime company. Though he wouldn't mind her company no matter what time of day it was.

But just thinking about her made everything feel hotter. The sweltering night was that much worse as thoughts of her persisted. And just looking at her made him like the thought of being burned. Engulfed completely.

A few minutes passed before he sat up and looked down at the people. He saw the working girl, Shana? on her way home. Or he presumed she would be going home now. Most men liked cheaper looking women at this time of night. Unless he was out, then the best needed to be available. He didn't settle for just anybody, and he was never planning on starting.

After his train of thought had passed, why he was thinking about cheap hookers he didn't know anymore. But he watched as the blonde traveled away. And she wasn't alone. The man that looked like the piano player was with her. They kept to the shadows as they walked.

When they thought they were good and hidden they stole a kiss. Tommy's eyes widened as he saw what transpired. They had a lot of guts to be doing that in public. Some of the places he'd been in made that against the law. A colored person kissing someone that wasn't? He never understood why they made laws for that but he never really cared.

So maybe she wasn't a prostitute. She sure acted like one with him. He forced her from his mind as he climbed back into his room. The space was still too small for him to be comfortable enough for him to sleep. Deciding a walk would help, he put his boots back on and retrieve his hat from the table next to the door.

He walked down the main road. All was quiet but it was a nice change from the cities he had been in. People were always rowdy and getting to trouble. Most cases they wanted him out of their town. Or trying to take what he had rightfully stolen. They didn't learn any lessons when they crossed him. They ceased to exist.

He kicked a rock with the toe of his boot as he grew bored of nothing to do. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he strolled along. But a commotion behind him caused him to turn. A large team of horses went passed him. The carriage they towed looked extremely ornate. He saw the carriage turn off onto another road. But he could hear the horses slowing. He felt a smile creeping to his lips as he thought of the possibilities of making some more money. It was obvious that someone here had money and plenty to spare.

As he continued with his walk he passed a small house. Nothing to hold his attention normally but the light in the upstairs window caught his eye. A slight figure was silhouetted. But the illumination quickly dissipated. However he was sure someone was still by the window.

He gazed up, waiting to see if the person was the one he had been thinking about for the past few hours. He was disappointed when all he saw was some light colored hair and then nothing at all.

Tommy had a couple of goals in mind as he walked back to the hotel: find the girl and find the person with the lavish carriage. He was sure he was going to have his riches of both kinds.

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Thanks, Eternita14. I'm an awesome nerd!


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